Municipal law enforcement and emergency services will be on high alert to tackle any Guy Fawkes-related crime, says the City.

In certain parts of Cape Town, incidents of assault, stoning of vehicles and mob attacks are synonymous with the day on Tuesday November 5, and the public should report “bad behaviour” to the authorities, says mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith.

The City’s operational deployment leading up to and during Guy Fawkes would focus on areas that had been hot spots for trouble in the past, he said.

Motorists should be cautious, and parents should keep an eye on their children, he said, adding that pet owners should monitor their animals and keep them indoors, where possible, to minimise the risk of trauma from illegal fireworks.

Fireworks-related incidents recorded by the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre last year had showed a 31% decline, he said.

“A ban on fireworks is the best solution, but, unfortunately, that is outside of the City’s purview, but we will ensure that we play our part to curb it as best as possible,” he said, adding that there were no designated fireworks sites in Cape Town for Diwali, Guy Fawkes or New Year’s Eve, and fireworks displays were only allowed where the necessary permit had been approved.

Anyone wishing to put on a fireworks display had to apply for a permit from SAPS in terms of the National Explosives Act, he said.

If the application was approved, the applicant should contact the Fire and Rescue Service’s Fire Life Safety Section in the area they wished to do the display so that a site inspection could be done to determine whether the area was safe for such a display, he said, adding that in some cases a separate event permit might also be needed.

“The law prohibits the illegal discharge of fireworks, selling fireworks to persons under 16 or allowing them to handle fireworks without adult supervision,” he said.

Call the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre at 021 480 7700 from a cellphone and 107 from a landline to report criminal activity.

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